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By Suzanne Potter/PNS
LOS ANGELES -- Hunger-fighting advocacy groups are speaking out in California, drawing attention to the continuing problem of food insecurity and recent progress on that front.
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This month and next, families on the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program will get a fruit and vegetable benefit of $35, more than three times what they usually receive. The increase was part of the Biden administration’s American Rescue Plan.
Frank Tamborello, director of Hunger Action Los Angeles, noted Los Angeles County has recently stepped up to the plate in a big way.
“We had a victory with the County Board of Supervisors, who have agreed to provide $2 million to help support the Market Match program, and other programs like it that provide bonus dollars to people using CalFresh food assistance,” Tamborello explained.
In late June and early July, a survey from the U.S. Census Bureau found 2.7 million Californians reported not having enough to eat. Market Match gives people who rely on CalFresh a dollar-for-dollar match, good at hundreds of farmers’ markets and other farmdirect sites across the state.
Many farmers’ markets that were forced to shut down during the pandemic are now back in business.
Stacey Whitney, manager of the Altadena Farmer’s market, which takes place in a newly reopened county park, applauded the added support.
“For our mental wellness and our physical wellness as it relates to fresh food, it’s just great to see everyone back at the market,” Whitney remarked.
Advocates urged Congress to make permanent
Farmers’ markets are starting to reopen after some had to shut down when their venues were closed during the COVID lockdowns.
the expanded federal Child Tax Credit, which gives parents between $250 and $300 per child each month. It is currently slated to expire in December.
Disclosure: Hunger Action Los Angeles contributes to our fund for reporting on Budget Policy and Priorities, Hunger/Food/Nutrition, Livable Wages/Working Families, and Poverty Issues.
Indoor mask mandates revived for eight counties in San Francisco Bay Area
By Desert Star Staff
Health departments across California’s Bay Area have reintroduced indoor mask mandates, requiring residents in eight regions to don face coverings – vaccinated or not – as officials point to the rapid spread of the Delta variant.
The revived mandates were imposed on Monday in the counties of San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Sonoma, and the city of Berkeley, each announcing the move in similarly worded statements. Set to take effect on Tuesday, the measures apply regardless of residents’ vaccination status.
“Indoor masking is a temporary measure that will help us deal with the Delta variant, which is causing a sharp increase in cases, and we know increases in hospitalizations and deaths will follow,” said San Francisco’s acting health officer Naveena Bobba. “When we all wear face coverings indoors, we are protecting our fellow residents and helping our healthcare workers.”
While the officials in all eight regions maintained that vaccination protects against severe illness from Covid-19, they also acknowledged a growing number of cases among the immunized, with Berkeley’s health department warning that “the proportion of post-vaccination infections is increasing” thanks to the more contagious Delta variant.
The new mandates across the Bay Area follow a similar move in Los Angeles County, which became the first in the state to reimpose an indoor mask requirement in mid-July, just weeks after California emerged from a lengthy lockdown. LA officials cited a surge in daily cases at the time, while the county’s health officer suggested more restrictions could be needed, saying “anything is on the table.”
The Bay Area officials also cited revised masking guidance issued last month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which recommended universal indoor face coverings in regions with “substantial” or “high” viral transmission. It based the decision on a recent study suggesting that the coronavirus vaccines currently approved for emergency use may not protect against the Delta variant as much as previously thought. Of 469 cases studied, 74% of the patients were fully vaccinated, while 79% developed symptoms. A total of five patients were also hospitalized, four of which were fully immunized.
The updated CDC guidance has triggered a spate of fresh mask mandates across US states, counties and cities, as well as a new requirement in the US Capitol. The Joe Biden administration has also since mandated coronavirus vaccines for federal employees, citing the Delta surge. At the same time, his CDC director Rochelle Walensky turned heads last week after telling Fox’s Bret Baier that the government is “looking into” a full-on federal vaccine mandate. Though Biden’s DOJ recently concluded that such requirements would be legal, Walensky later clarified in a tweet that “there will be no nationwide mandate.”
Agents Arrest a Drug Smuggling Individual Attempting to Flee
By Desert Star Staff
SALTON CITY, Calif. – El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents arrested a United States citizen attempting to smuggle fentanyl through an immigration checkpoint early Saturday morning.
At about 4:35 a.m., a blue 2012 Ford Fusion approached the Highway 86 immigration checkpoint. The agent in primary inspection
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referred the vehicle to the secondary inspection area for further investigation.
The driver did not comply with the secondary inspection referral and continued to drive northbound on Highway 86. Agents responded by pursuing the vehicle and attempted to initiate a vehicle stop. However, the driver failed to comply as he evaded the agents by driving off the road. The car finally became disabled at the intersection of Rodeo Drive and Cedar Avenue.
Agents located the vehicle, and as they approached, they noticed the driver attempting to flee the immediate area on foot. Agents arrested the driver immediately and searched the car. Agents discovered a plastic bag on the passenger
August 6, 2021
seat containing pills labeled M30. The contents inside the plastic bag tested positive for fentanyl. The 34-year-old man was smuggling approximately 22 grams of fentanyl with an estimated value of $3,300.00.
The driver was transported to the Highway 86 checkpoint for further processing.
The man, vehicle, and narcotics were turned over to the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office.
Please visit www.cbp. gov to view additional news releases and other information about Customs and Border Protection. For all news, information, and updates, follow on Twitter @CBPElCentro, @USBPChiefELC and Instagram.
